GALE AT AKAROA

Evening Star, Issue 22070, 2 July 1935, Page 6

GALE AT AKAROA

STEAMER BREAKS MOORINGS fPfcit UniTiD Pkkss Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, July 1. The south-west gale caused the steamer Gabriella to break from her moorings at Akaroa wharf this afternoon. She drifted dangerously near Children’s Bay, where there is shallow water, but was successfully steered to a sheltered part of the harbour, where she was anchored. Waterside workers were on the vessel when the moorings broke and a fishing trawler had to go out to the ship to bring them ashore. One effect of the gale is to delay the opening of the outlet to the sea from Lake Forsyth, which is already so high as to cause flooding on farm lands. Water 2ft deep lies on the main road to Little River, making transport difficult. The outlet through the shingle pit would have been completed to-morrow evening, but the gale has washed up the shingle again and work is interrupted, and much of what •has already been accomplished will have to bo done again. When .the outlet is cut the scour from the lake will clear a passage and reduce the level of the lake to normal in about 48 hours. Meantime there is a possibility that the southerly gale may bring heavy rain, in which event the flooding may become serious.